Armagh mourns passing of Kieran McGurk
September 27, 2011
The late Kieran McGurk in action for Armagh
Aged just 49 and a native of Kildress in Co. Tyrone, McGurk won an Ulster SFC medal in 1982 and was a mainstay of the Orchard County team for well over a decade. Blessed with a terrific left foot, he marked his arrival on the national stage with a winning goal against Kerry in the National League in 1981, which secured Armagh's Division 1 status.
As well as winning the Anglo-Celt Cup in 1982, McGurk played in three NFL finals and also claimed a Railway Cup medal with Ulster. One of the highlights of his career was captaining his adopted club Highmoss Sarsfields to an historic Armagh SFC success in 1990.
He later managed Sarsfields, Kildress and Clann Eireann, and coached Glenties in Donegal.
Among those to pay tribute to Kieran was current Armagh stars Steven McDonnell and Aaron Kernan as well as his former club and county colleague Brian McAlinden, who jointly-managed Armagh with Brian Canavan a decade ago.
"Certainly, he was held in very high esteem in both county and club, and all across Ireland," McAlinden said in the Irish News.
"I don't think you can put into words what people thought of Kieran McGurk - and not because of where he is now. In living memory, everyone would have had the same word for him.
"He was simply a colossal person and player and it's just unreal how quickly that can be taken away."
He continued: "Kieran was a Tyrone man who came to Lurgan with the family to live. He played underage at Eire Og in Craigavon, then moved to ourselves. I was fortunate enough to play with him at club and county level and manage him at club and county level as well.
"When we won the senior championship for the first time in 1990, I was the manager of the Sarsfields team and we gave Kieran the honour of being the captain of the team. When it came to selecting the captain, Kieran's name was there first and foremost.
"There was never a doubt in my mind or the selectors' minds who the captain would be." Tweet
